This vehicle will never see mass production.

CrazedAndBemused: Myk-House of El: This vehicle will never see mass production.

It kinda has to, doesn't it?  By hook or by crook, this thing has to ship or else there will be a stockholder revolt.  It will probably be pretty average, but the fanbois will hump it like an Apple product.  It won't be a smash hit, but it will give Elmo a moment of glory.

It's interesting because there's a reported 1.5 million pre-orders for the thing, but they are not binding and easily backed out of.  Everyone else is beating this to market with their own e-pickup.  I see a limited run for folks actually serious about it, but I'd be shocked if we got more than 5% of those pre-orders actually followed up on.  With Elon doing what he's doing, burning capital, linking all his companies financially in a way, he could actually get shareholders to oust him and this project either goes away or is radically re-imagined in such a way as what we've seen doesn't represent the final product at all.

I also have doubts about it meeting all the federal regulations required, but that's a different story.